Uzbekistan: U.S. Sharpens Call For Independent
Probe Of Andijon Bloodshed, While Russia Objects
By Andrew Tully
Since the first reports of bloodshed in
Andijon, the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush has been slowly
increasing its criticism of the government of Uzbek President Islam Karimov.
Yesterday, the expression of concern rose significantly.
Washington, 10 June 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The
United States yesterday made its strongest call yet for an independent
international investigation of the 13 May killings in Andijon.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
was asked about a letter sent by six U.S. senators -- including four from
Bush's Republican Party -- urging the administration to reconsider its
relationship with Uzbekistan.
"Very basically we share the concerns
of the senators," McCormack said. "We are calling for a credible,
transparent, and independent investigation into the Andijon tragedy. We
also stand ready to take part in such an investigation in cooperation with
the Uzbek government and credible international partners."
The senators' letter -- addressed to Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld -- expressed
concern about the United States entering into a long-term agreement for
U.S. troops to occupy a military base in Uzbekistan. Karimov offered Washington
use of the base shortly after the attacks of 11 September 2001.
Karimov has said 173 people, including government
forces, were killed in Andijon on 13 May. Human Rights Watch issued a detailed
report on the incident on 7 June that said hundreds were killed. The advocacy
group called the confrontation a "massacre."
On 8 June, McCormack indicated that the Bush
administration doesn't accept Karimov's account of the events. He said
the United States believes that "hundreds of innocent civilians were
killed" that day. He said this conclusion is based on what he called
"reliable eyewitness accounts."
Yesterday, McCormack gave no indication of
Washington's eventual response.
"We are considering all of our diplomatic
options, including at the UN. We are pleased that representatives of the
UN high commissioner on human rights will be returning to the refugee camp
in Kyrgyz to assess the situation there. And in the meantime, we are talking
to member states of various international organizations to try to generate
support for an international investigation. We've been calling for this
for some time."
Washington is joined by NATO and the EU in
calling for an international investigation. But the Uzbek government has
refused such a probe and is backed in its position by Moscow.
Yesterday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei
Ivanov said during a visit to NATO officials in Brussels that the violence
on 13 May in Andijon was orchestrated from Afghanistan, and that 50 non-Uzbeks
were among those killed and detained by the Uzbek authorities.
"The situation in a number of regions
in Asia and Middle East, where we can see an increase in radicalism and
a further escalation of terrorism, is a cause of much concern. Indicative
in this aspect are the recent events in Uzbekistan," Ivanov said.
"According to the information we have, the events were inspired from
the territory of Afghanistan."
Ivanov gave no further details for his claims,
and no confirmation was available.
The Uzbek government says it is conducting
its own investigation of the day's events.
But yesterday, McCormack indicated that the
Bush administration has little faith in that probe.
"The Uzbek parliament started their
own investigation," McCormack said. "That's something that we
chose not to participate in because we didn't see that as a substitute
for the international investigation that we talked about."
McCormack said the Bush administration is
also worried about what it calls the Uzbek government's efforts to silence
not only indigenous witnesses, but also news reporters and rights advocates
who have been trying to learn more about the killings.
"We are concerned and remain concerned
that the (Uzbek) government is trying to silence human rights activists
and media [with] intimidation as well as arrests," McCormack said.
"I think our views on freedom of speech are well known, so these are
very troubling matters, very concerning for us."
The State Department has long been critical
of Karimov's human rights record, but the Defense Department has found
the use of the base valuable in carrying out its operations in neighboring
Afghanistan.
Last year, the State Department cited this
poor record when it suspended $18 million in aid to Uzbekistan. But soon
the Pentagon restored that money -- and even added $3 million to the total
-- citing Karimov's cooperation with the U.S. military.
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